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Bloody GP4000Ss

meanredspidermeanredspider Posts: 12,337
edited March 2014 in Commuting chat
Why is it that I can never do a significant ride on GP4000Ss without getting a visit from the fairy? 2 punctures in 50 miles today on regular bike tracks. To rub Continental salt into the wound, my spare (brand new) Continental inner tube split as soon as it was inflated :roll: :evil: I don't know why I've persisted with these wretched tyres (well, I do: everyone says they're great) but I'm going to stick with Vittoria from now on - I almost never get punctures with the Rubino Pros.
ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
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  • asprillaasprilla Posts: 8,440
    Because they aren't very good?

    I have never understood my everyone raves about them; I think they are made of cheese.
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • AnonymousAnonymous Posts: 79,667
    Never had an issue with them. Last about a year in all weathers, pretty tough. Only had 1 or 2 unknown punctures (where I didn't smack a pothole/glass/shard of metal on road)
  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 20,035
    they are very grippy in the wet which i like but they are thin, try the 24mm GP or the newer 25mm GP, they're a bit thicker and more robust but with all the same qualities of the 4000s
    Rule #5 // Harden The censored Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • meanredspidermeanredspider Posts: 12,337
    I've a set of Vittoria Pave CGs to put on - super grippy - I'm going to try them. Failing that, I'll stick to Rubino Pros but maybe get the grippy (Evo?) version of them as my ride down the Amstel today had a variety of slippery surfaces.

    Pretty unimpressed by Dutch roadies - only 1 slowed to ask if all was ok despite loads passing me.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 20,035
    meanredspider wrote:
    I've a set of Vittoria Pave CGs to put on - super grippy - I'm going to try them. Failing that, I'll stick to Rubino Pros but maybe get the grippy (Evo?) version of them as my ride down the Amstel today had a variety of slippery surfaces.

    Pretty unimpressed by Dutch roadies - only 1 slowed to ask if all was ok despite loads passing me.

    Dont get me started on Dutch cyclists :evil:
    Rule #5 // Harden The censored Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • Wrath RobWrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    Mine have been great, used on the best bike with no issues in races, TT's and sportives. I've had a couple of punctures in a few thousand miles but I think that's acceptable for a tyre that's not supposed to have commuter levels of protection. If they don't work for you then switch to the Vittoria's but I think what you really need are these
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • meanredspidermeanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Wrath Rob wrote:
    Mine have been great, used on the best bike with no issues in races, TT's and sportives. I've had a couple of punctures in a few thousand miles but I think that's acceptable for a tyre that's not supposed to have commuter levels of protection. If they don't work for you then switch to the Vittoria's but I think what you really need are these

    Ha :wink:

    The point is I don't commute on them. They're on the Scott Foil HMX and I used them on L2E (amongst other rides) - they've let me down every time. Today was 80k on Dutch bike tracks - I got two punctures - didn't see another soul fixing a flat despite huge numbers of roadies out. The funny thing is that, speed-wise, I can't detect a difference between the GP4ks and the Rubino Pros. Vastly over-rated to my mind
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • eddsedds Posts: 156
    For a different viewpoint I love my GP4000s. I ride them on my commuter and haven't had any problems from them. I rode them during my LEJoG without any problems and ride them in all conditions on some horrible roads. I could count on one had the number of visits I have had from the fairy in the past 5000 miles.
    edd
    --
    FCN 4-5; Giant SRC 3; formally known as edduddiee
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 26,758
    meanredspider wrote:
    Pretty unimpressed by Dutch roadies - only 1 slowed to ask if all was ok despite loads passing me.

    Wearing a Sky kit?

    I have lived for two years in Amsterdam... yes, Dutch people don't seem to care much for others... indifference is hardly surprising.
  • AnonymousAnonymous Posts: 79,667
    I walked home from Millbank the other after a savage mechanical

    yes, English people don't seem to care much for others... indifference is hardly surprising.

    My dutch family are the polar opposite to your description
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 26,758
    coriordan wrote:
    I walked home from Millbank the other after a savage mechanical

    yes, English people don't seem to care much for others... indifference is hardly surprising.

    My dutch family are the polar opposite to your description

    What can I say... generalisations don't mean anything... Amsterdam and London probably have the same kind of people... I am pretty sure that had I being in need in the Lunteren forest people would have been very helpful...
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 26,758
    coriordan wrote:
    I walked home from Millbank the other after a savage mechanical

    yes, English people don't seem to care much for others... indifference is hardly surprising.

    My dutch family are the polar opposite to your description

    What can I say... generalisations don't mean anything... Amsterdam and London probably have the same kind of people... I am pretty sure that had I being in need in the Lunteren forest people would have been very helpful...
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 26,758
    coriordan wrote:
    I walked home from Millbank the other after a savage mechanical

    yes, English people don't seem to care much for others... indifference is hardly surprising.

    My dutch family are the polar opposite to your description

    What can I say... generalisations don't mean anything... Amsterdam and London probably have the same kind of people... I am pretty sure that had I being in need in the Lunteren forest people would have been very helpful...
  • meanredspidermeanredspider Posts: 12,337
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    meanredspider wrote:
    Pretty unimpressed by Dutch roadies - only 1 slowed to ask if all was ok despite loads passing me.

    Wearing a Sky kit?

    LMAO. No :wink:

    I could have understood it better if I was in the city but I was up the Amstel river not really near anywhere and the other riders were obviously recreational.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • ddraverddraver Posts: 24,073
    They re lightweight race tyres!! If you want puncture protection then go for the gatorskins. The GP 4 Seasons is a good balance though

    The Dutch paths start getting a lot dirtier, wetter, muddier, leafier and stickier at the moment and so puncture protection become more important. What is it that's causing the punctures?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • meanredspidermeanredspider Posts: 12,337
    ddraver wrote:
    They re lightweight race tyres!! If you want puncture protection then go for the gatorskins. The GP 4 Seasons is a good balance though

    The Dutch paths start getting a lot dirtier, wetter, muddier, leafier and stickier at the moment and so puncture protection become more important. What is it that's causing the punctures?

    They're hardly Michelin Pro 4s.

    Gatorskins are nowhere near as good as Rubino Pros for speed or puncture protection. I used to use them until I discovered the Vittorias.

    Not sure what the first puncture was caused by - thorn or something similar. Second one was a tiny chip of glass.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • ddraverddraver Posts: 24,073
    Sounds like censored luck to be honest, I'd stick to something more substantial for the Dutch winter though. My 4 Seasons went on a few months ago (although that was partly because the last tyres were worn out). www.bike-discount.de are the best place for tyres online in NL.

    I don't find Dutch cyclists much worse than UK ones really, most of the clubs I ve been with are friendly enough, they don't go for the wave or nod though...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • meanredspidermeanredspider Posts: 12,337
    ddraver wrote:
    Sounds like censored luck to be honest, I'd stick to something more substantial for the Dutch winter though. My 4 Seasons went on a few months ago (although that was partly because the last tyres were worn out). http://www.bike-discount.de are the best place for tyres online in NL.

    I don't find Dutch cyclists much worse than UK ones really, most of the clubs I ve been with are friendly enough, they don't go for the wave or nod though...

    It might be censored luck but, literally, I doubt I've ever managed 150 miles between punctures when running the GP4KSs. The Rubinos manage at least 10x that in all conditions

    Yup - I forgot to pack my Pave CGs as my hand-baggage (Brompton S bag) was creaking at the seams when I came back last weekend. I'm back again next weekend.

    9 out of 10 Highland cyclists would check you're ok - even if you were on the Kessock Bridge only 1km from several bike shops.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • fossyantfossyant Posts: 2,549
    4 Seasons for commuting. Nuff Said.

    As for tubes, Vittoria Ultralight. Conti's fail at the valve/tube join all the time !

    Performance tyre - Mich Pro 4's...
  • dee4life2005dee4life2005 Posts: 773
    I'd say its just bad luck. I've done about 6000 miles on GP4000s and I've had 4 punctures in that time. One of those was my own fault for not checking the tyre properly before re-inflation and re-punctured within about 400 yards. 2 of the others were during riding on cycle paths, and the youth around here seem to like smashing bottles on them so there is quite a bit of glass to contend with. Only suffered one puncture with then when riding on the road and that was after quite a bit of rain.
    So 6000 miles and only 4 punctures, I'm pretty happy with that to be honest, and better than I ever had with Gatorskins for example.
    http://app.strava.com/athletes/307297
  • DonDaddyDDonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    These are like F1 tyres, they are superb at first, grippy as f*ck and pretty resistant that give months of bliss. Then you hit the cliff: That one ride where the p-fairy visits and then its like every single day you have to change an inner tube. My 4 seasons were like that as well.


    For commuting I use gatorskins these days.
    Food Chain number = 4

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  • bigmatbigmat Posts: 5,132
    I think a lot of it is down to luck. You have a few punctures which could just be bad luck and you condemn those tyres for ever more. I've had maybe one or two over thousands of miles of Rubinos. To be honest I don't really count them but I know its not many. Same goes for most tyres I have used though including cheapo Ultra Sports. Can't remember anything being notably more susceptible, but obviously if the rubber has worn down or the roads are particularly bad then puncture risk will be higher.

    I certainly wouldn't trade the thousands of puncture free miles I have ridden on reasonably light, nice-rolling tyres for the extra security I might get with some heavyweight puncture proof things.
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  • daddy0daddy0 Posts: 686
    I was using GP4000s until the end of the summer when they started to p******* all the time. FWIW I think almost all the p********s happened when it'd been raining. So on MRS recommendations I have now swapped to Rubino Pros - too early to give my opinion on them really, but so far I've done about 1000km and not had a visitation and I am still getting PRs and KOMs, so all good so far.

    The EPO decided to ride to work today, so I swapped the tyres on her bike for Rubinos because if she were to get a visitation I'm pretty sure it'd mean I'd have to go and get her.
    https://cyclejames.wordpress.com/
  • bompingtonbompington Posts: 7,674
    +1 for the gp4000s from me - I have never had a puncture, in thousands of miles, that wasn't clearly attributable to some obvious, major, external cause.
    Surely just a case of YMMV?
  • pangolinpangolin Posts: 4,500
    I've had a couple of GP4000s, just as bad as MRS describes, puncture after puncture. Rubino Pro's have been great. Only had 1 GP 4 season but that has been very good too. Enough people seem to love the GP4000s that I reckon Continental must just have some really bad batches of them and not great QC.
    Genesis Croix de Fer
    Cube Attain
  • keyser__sozekeyser__soze Posts: 2,066
    Quite like my GP4000S but then again I came from Ultremo ZXs so anything's an improvement.
    "Mummy Mummy, when will I grow up?"
    "Don't be silly son, you're a bloke, you'll never grow up"
  • slowbikeslowbike Posts: 8,498
    BigMat wrote:
    I certainly wouldn't trade the thousands of puncture free miles I have ridden on reasonably light, nice-rolling tyres for the extra security I might get with some heavyweight puncture proof things.
    I've swapped my commuter bike tyres over from GP4Seasons that are now nearing the end of their term to some (already in stock) Specialized Flakjackets - so gone from light-weight 23mm slicks to 32mm treaded heavyweights ...

    It might be the week off bikes whilst on holiday or the cold I'm now developing - but it was blummin hard work this morning - got to be them sodding tyres! Everytime I hit an incline the bike stopped ... :(

    Still - I'll persevere for now - I'm sure the heavyweight tyre will save me from a visitation - but once these are worn down I'll swap to something a little lighter...
  • meanredspidermeanredspider Posts: 12,337
    BigMat wrote:
    I certainly wouldn't trade the thousands of puncture free miles I have ridden on reasonably light, nice-rolling tyres for the extra security I might get with some heavyweight puncture proof things.

    But that's just the point about the Rubinos - they are reasonably light and nice-rolling AND pretty puncture proof too. I'm struggling to find where the GP4kSs are better - some say grip but I've not noticed a difference there either (whereas the Pave CGs clearly grip amazingly well)

    I think the observation about the wet and GP4KSs is a good one - the vast majority of visits have been in the wet - but then not always and I'm not going to be bothered to swap tyres every time it rains.

    ETA - quick Google suggests GP4000Ss 207g and Rubino Pro 220g
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 20,035
    meanredspider wrote:
    BigMat wrote:
    I certainly wouldn't trade the thousands of puncture free miles I have ridden on reasonably light, nice-rolling tyres for the extra security I might get with some heavyweight puncture proof things.

    But that's just the point about the Rubinos - they are reasonably light and nice-rolling AND pretty puncture proof too. I'm struggling to find where the GP4kSs are better - some say grip but I've not noticed a difference there either (whereas the Pave CGs clearly grip amazingly well)

    I think the observation about the wet and GP4KSs is a good one - the vast majority of visits have been in the wet - but then not always and I'm not going to be bothered to swap tyres every time it rains.

    ETA - quick Google suggests GP4000Ss 207g and Rubino Pro 220g

    no that would be silly surely you swap bikes ....
    Rule #5 // Harden The censored Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • UnderscoreUnderscore Posts: 730
    ddraver wrote:
    They re lightweight race tyres!! If you want puncture protection then go for the gatorskins.

    Interesting. I've found the GP4000S to be more resistant to the fairy than Gators, as well as rolling better. As ever, YMMV but I've now got GP4000S on both summer and winter bikes - both of which are used to commuting.

    _
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